Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Geoffp]

To-day, I went to have a look at this:


DSCF1241 by geoffp5, on Flickr

It's been stored in this dry lock-up for 7 years. I wasn't able to check the mechanics, but I would assume that everything has seized up

It had been resprayed to a high standard some time ago, but had originally been blue (Teal Blue ?). Underneatg had been covered in thick underseal, but the inner wings, sills etc seemed to be quite sound when I tapped them

There was a little surface rust on the inner sills:


DSCF1246 by geoffp5, on Flickr

There had been some welding on the driver's footwell, but it seems to have been done quite well:


DSCF1245 by geoffp5, on Flickr

The interior needed some work:


DSCF1242 by geoffp5, on Flickr

Under the bonnet is scruffy but appaers Ok, although I think that I would want a new master cylinder:


DSCF1247 by geoffp5, on Flickr

I haven't had a chat with the owner yet, or discussed price, although I think that that would be pretty low. So, before I take it any further, what I would like to know is how much of a job is it likely to be getting it back on the road; is it relatively straightforward re-commissioning a car that has been standing for several years or full of unexpected snags? I only have a single garage on the side of the house which already has one or two things in it, so is it likely to be a problem working on a car that can't be moved under its own power?

Any advice or the benefits of your experiences would be gratefully received here. Many thanks,

Geoff

[Rick]

Hi Geoff,

Do you know why it came off the road in the first place? that can be a good clue as to the work that'll be needed to get it going again.

You can be sure that the braking system will need going through to get it working, and working consistently and reliably in future - bargain on master and wheel cylinders at the very least, plus likely flexi hoses and maybe some pipework. You can replace the seals within a cylinder, but if they're particularly corroded you may as well get new.

The engine may be ok and respond to some gentle persuasion - at least with a "B" everything is available, but at the very least you'll be looking at fresh oil, plugs, ignition items, battery, fresh coolant before you'll get chance to hear it run. The dashpots in the carbs may stick but it's easy enough to dismantle the tops of the carbs to free things off. The water pump may or may not be ok after standing, you'll soon spot any leaks if they happen.

If the exhaust and tyres are ok then that's a bonus, although after sitting for some time even tyres that look ok, might be slightly out-of-true.

The biggie with a car like this is rot - sills, floors, inner wings, and on the B in particular, the "castle" sections under the front wings. I've never had a B, but have read about them in the past. If possible have a look at the car from underneath, the patches in the floor may look ok from the top, but if they've been tacked on over the original rusty steel, they won't last long.

None of these are earth-shattering things to recfify or check, but are worth bearing in mind when settling on an asking price. Have a look at other project Bs for sale too.

The big plus is that it's all together (ie not dismantled then given up on), and the spares/club support for MGBs is brilliant so as long as you have a modest budget to play with, there's no reason why this one can't be rejuvenated

Let us know how you get on!

RJ
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[RobMoore]

Pretty much as Rick said. I would add that this could go one of two way
The car will just need a few items replacing and servicing resulting in a cheap re-commision or there will be unseen things needing extensive rebuilding. There is now way of knowing untill you inspect the car further and even try starting it up. The tyres will need replacing regardless of how they look.
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[Kelsham]

Check that the engine turns over and see if the clutch releases, could be stuck on.
Add clutch master cylinder and slave to the list of rubber parts that will need replacing, also engine hoses to radiator and heater.

Regards kels.

[Geoffp]

Thanks to all of you for your advice, your help is appreciated I spoke to the owner today, and he said that the car had been taken off the road to fit a new fuel pump, but I got the impression that something had also seized up, possibly clutch or brakes and the car had just been left there. The body had been repaired and resprayed and was perfectly sound, but to be honest there was potentially more work involved than I really want to take on when I haven't already got a classic on the road, so I've decided against this one. I reckoned that it would take about £300-400 just to get it mobile, plus a likely further amount if any of the other points that you have mentioned need sorting out, not too mention a fair bit of money and time on the interior to get it how I would like it.

Howver one positive thing is that I discovered how reasonably priced MGBs (especially rubber-bumper GTs) are compared to the Italian alternatives. It looks as if I could get a scruffy but roadworthy and basically sound example with change from £1500, with good ones starting at about £2500 upwards. So I think I will look at a few examples and might well end up with one eventually, even though I hadn't seriously thought about one before.

Thanks again,

Geoff

[Rick]

Good luck with the hunt Geoff, I remember you saying you were hoping to get a classic when we met at Weston Pk a few years ago - hope you find something soon

RJ
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Rick - Admin
Home:https://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk
Videos:https://www.youtube.com/user/oldclassiccarRJ/videos
OCC & classic car merchandise (Austin, Ford ++):
https://www.redbubble.com/people/OldClassicCar/shop

[Geoffp]

[Rick]

[Beetlefan]

Good Luck in your search for an MGB (I've had four of them) incidentally the original colour would have been Pageant blue.